The Last of Us: How was Episode 5’s terrifying colossus created?

Warning, spoilers. It is recommended that you watch The Last of Us Episode 5 before you continue reading this article.

Available in advance in the US due to the Super Bowl, the fifth episode of The Last of Us won over fans with a clever mix of action and emotion. This new chapter, titled “Endure and Survive,” is indeed marked by the tragic and sudden end of Sam (Kevon Woodard) and Henry (Lamar Johnson), who had everything to do with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). ).

Unfortunately, Sam was bitten by the infected and turned into a bloodthirsty monster. When he attacks Eli, Henry has no choice but to kill his little brother. With the horror of the situation, the young man cannot live without her and ends his life afterwards, in front of Joel and Ellie.

This tragedy stems from an incredible action sequence in which Joel, Ellie, Henry and Sam battle Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) and her minions, who rule Kansas City with an iron fist and a terrifying horde of infected.

And among these “zombies” that appeared from the underground tunnels, we find specifically the runners, rangers and clicks that we have already seen in previous episodes, but above all a new species: the terrible colossus (“Bloater”, in the original version) .

How was Colossus created in Episode 5?

The infected who have reached the fourth stage are called colossus. This creature, covered in thick mushrooms, can withstand many weapons thanks to this protective coating, but is sensitive to fire. Colossus is very aggressive and cruel, which makes it a formidable and very scary enemy.

And if Colossus is so terrifying in the series, it’s thanks to Barry Gower’s expertise. A famous designer of prostheses Winner of four Emmy Awards. This master of special effects and monster creation is already behind Vecna ​​in Stranger Things or The Night King in Game of Thrones.

He enlisted Adam Basil, a British stuntman, about 2 meters tall, to become this fearsome colossus, as he explained. varietyand developed a model of the creature based on its morphology:

“We had a complete copy of his body, with which we created foam prosthetics from plasticine. We made it out of foam rubber and foam latex, which is very light. It’s almost like shirt foam, kind of a very spongy material. “

The body of the colossus was prepared in separate parts and then assembled with fasteners and zippers, hidden by mushroom folds, coated with a viscous lubricant to give it a shiny, monstrous appearance that stood out with the night fire.

Barry Gower reckons Adam Basil should get used to the combination “Very soft, but very viscous and moist” Over 40kg, much heavier than Vecna ​​in Stranger Things. And Colossus was just one element of an impressive fight scene, including 10-15 other stuntmen dressed in Claqueurs costumes and 40-60 other extras portraying more basic infected like runners and rangers.

The make-up artist explained that it took a team of 65 make-up artists 5 hours to complete all the extras and stunt make-up before the scene was shot at night. Thanks to this meticulous work, the colossus turned out to be even more terrifying than in the impressive and already memorable fight scene of The Last of Us episode 5 in the video game.

Episodes 1-5 of The Last of Us are available on Prime Video.